Sessions

September 9, 8:00 PM – Gods, Legends and Rituals Series

With IMS President Rick Slazyk, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

“As if to indicate in tangible form the ability of ritual to create that liminal space where man could meet god, the very structures that housed that ritual were themselves embellished with masks. Whether those masks created doorways between the mundane and the sacred, emblazoned the facades of buildings with a symbol of the sacred activity housed within, or marked the sacred pathway up the steps of the pyramid leading to the temple, they served always to signify the presence of the sacred. The architectural masks found throughout Mesoamerica symbolize the underlying cosmological purpose of the structures on which they appear, structures that served to dramatize the cosmogony by constructing on earth a reduced version of the cosmos.” – Text from Masks of the Spirit: Image and Metaphor in Mesoamerica, by Roberta H. and Peter T. Markman.
IMS Maya Hotline: 305-279-8110. Subscribe to the full-color e-mailed version of our monthly IMS Explorer newsletter at:www.instituteofmayastudies.org

Institute of Maya Studies Explorer Session: Gods, Legends and Rituals Series
“San Gervasio and the Cult of Ixchel”

February 11, 8:00 PM

IMS Treasurer Ray Stewart

With the exception of Itzamná, possibly the most important deity in the Maya pantheon may very well be the goddess Ixchel (Ix Chel). Supposedly, having given birth to the primary Maya Gods, she has got to rank with the founding of Maya religion and that of mankind itself. The many attributes of Ixchel’s powers impact almost every aspect of Maya life. This talk will explore this Goddess’s influence on ancient Maya lifestyles and beliefs that motivated their pilgrimages to the site of San Gervasio on the island of Cozumel.

The Institute of Maya Studies (IMS) meets at the Miami Science Museum,
3280 South Miami Avenue, across from Vizcaya;

Public IMS Explorer Session: Gods, Legends and Rituals Series “Cracking the Maya Code”

January 14, 8:00 PM – Institute of Maya Studies Event

This NOVA film based on the book by Michael Coe not only tells of how the decoding of the Mayan script was done by the actual experts who were so involved in the ingenious breakthrough that has allowed the reading of one of the world’s most elaborate and exotic scripts, but has brought about a complete reversal in the way we think about the Maya.

The Institute of Maya Studies (IMS) meets at the Miami Science Museum,
3280 South Miami Avenue, across from Vizcaya;
Maya Hotline: 305-279-8110

Institute of Maya Studies Explorer Session “San Miguelito and Its New Museum in Cancun”

September 10, 8:00 – Miami Science Museum

With Ray Stewart, we will tour Cancun’s new archaeological museum on the site of San Miguelito. Children as well as adults can now relate what they have seen inside the modern building to one of the original Maya sites where they originated. With its own little temple, San Miguelito is a pleasant shaded stroll under tropical trees, hidden for years ten feet from the busy Kukulcan Blvd.
The Institute of Maya Studies meets at the Miami Science Museum,
3280 South Miami Avenue, across from Vizcaya;
Maya Hotline: 305-279-8110.
Subscribe to the full-color e-mailed version of our monthly IMS Explorer newsletter at:www.instituteofmayastudies.org